7 December 1941, Pearl Harbor Day
A few minutes before 0800, 7 December 1941, an Imperial Japanese Navy strike force composed of 31 ships (2 battleships, 6 carriers, 2 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser, 9 destroyers, 3 submarines, and 8 tankers; and an air strength of 432 planes, 39 for combat patrol, 40 for reserve, and 353 for the raid) attacked the United States Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, without warning or declaration of war. Eighteen American ships were seriously damaged or sunk; and 188 Army and Navy planes were destroyed and 159 damaged. There were 2,008 sailors killed and 710 wounded. One-hundred and nine Marines were killed and 69 wounded. Army casualties were 218 killed, and 364 wounded. Civilian casualties were 68 killed and 35 wounded. Total casualties: 2,403 killed, 1,178 wounded. The Japanese reported losing 29 planes, 4 or 5 midget submarines, and possibly one large submarine. Therein began the largest naval war in history that was not decided until the United States dropped two atomic bombs on